The Broken Ones
by yournamefails
Summary: When the Doors of Death are reopened, chaos begins to rise for demigods everywhere. It is left for the two broken souls of the big three to make a choice that could change the world. They are unsure however, if they could let go of their pain, to work together to get through Tartarus, and close the doors a second time. (Thalico Fic) DISCALIMER: Profile pic doesn't belong to me.
1. The Girl who played with lightning

**Thalia Grace **

Thalia couldn't ever imagine meeting someone like Luke Castellan. She was broken-hearted and out of instinct, she wanted to avoid the feeling of losing the one thing you have left. So she joined the Hunters of Artemis; it gave her a reason, something to put her life into. At least...that's what she tells everyone.

When she heard that Luke was a traitor, she felt like there was no one left for her. She would never find someone like _him._ She didn't want to let her broken heart wait for another person, knowing that she would never find anyone. As a result she made an oath.

Being in the hunt never stopped the hurt or the doubt. It only suppressed her pain, so she spent everyday feeling lonely and numb. In truth, she only wanted immortality so that she could have time to wait for _that feeling _again. She wanted to find someone that wouldn't break a promise. Someone that she could call..."home."

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Thalia Grace woke up to the sound of another whiny hunter shaking her tent. "Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Something's wrong! They won't stop coming!" She shrieked. "And we're exhausted."

Thalia stood up firmly, and kept her weapons ready. There were always monsters ready to attack outside of camp.

She stepped outside of her tent and into the cold snowy air. Her silver parka jacket was nice and warm, but her black "death to barbie" t-shirt and ripped black jeans didn't help much against the cold blizarrd. Thankfully her boots made up for the lack of warmth on her lower body.

"Huntress...are you a _boy _or something?" Thalia started in her military-like voice. "Quit complaining and just tough it out through your shift like the rest of us had."

Another huntress came running up to her. "But m'lady, we're _exhausted_. We've been fighting for th-th-three hours. They're coming back in _way _too fast of intervals."

Thalia was about to yell at them for being such pansies, but she could see in their eyes that they were telling the truth. She sighed out of sympathy. "Okay...come inside. We'll wait it out for a bit. If you're telling the truth, there _must _be something wrong. I'll take shift for now, alone." The hunters made their way inside the main tent.

At least she now had the chance to let out her thoughts.

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Thalia paced around the house-sized tent thinking long and hard. All the other hunters were snoring in their sleeping bags. It had been only two minutes and another monster appeared. She easily defeated it, but still expelled way more energy than she expected to. Something was _definitely wrong. _

It was getting ridiculous how fast they recovered. She pulled out her last golden tipped arrow and blew fog in the air through her breath. "Lady Iris, please accept this offering, for I need to send an important message." she mumbled.

She looked at the splatter of mist in the air as it waited for its recording. "Lady Artemis, what's going on? My hunters keep reporting that these monsters won't die. Didn't you gods send the seven to close the doors? I need answers NOW! Please, this is getting ridiculous. End of message." The ball of mist dissappeared into the air.

Immediately another Iris-message appeared in her face.

"Lieutenant, I've got your message. And I need to let you know this soon. This is REALLY bad: the Doors of Death have been reopened," The words made her heart drop. "I don't know the details, that's just what Lord Hades has told me. _You_ have to get to Camp _immediately. _Chiron will explain the details." The message ended.

Thalia immediately barged back into the tent alerting a few of the girls. She ravaged through the supply bag, packing up weapons, food, nectar,ambrosia, everything she would need for traveling. A girl tapped her shoulder.

"Lieutenant, what's going on? Is...something wrong?" the hunter asked.

"What's going on, is that we have to go back to camp."

"What...why? We're okay out here." Another girl asked.

"No we're not. The doors of death are reopened, and we need to figure what to do before this gets any worse."

"But our mission-" another hunter said.

"_This _scavenger run was a bust. We can't keep going on like this. We're going back to camp and figuring this out; chiron has the details. Anyone want to protest?" No one responded.

"Okay good. It's settled then. Pack up _boys_"

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* * *

The moment Thalia stepped into camp she was welcomed by Chiron already trudging towards her. He seemed nervous and unsettled, twitching his fingers about under his bow. He gestured for her to follow him.

"Why don't the rest of you girls get to know the camp better? Maybe have some lunch with the Aphrodite cabin?" He insisted. The girls seemed hesitant at the mention of Aphrodite children. They obliged however the second their lieutenant glared at them. With that, Thalia separated from the hunters.

"First things first," Chiron started. "Do NOT mention this to anyone."

"Mention what? I didn't even say anything yet."

"As you may have heard, the doors are open again yes?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"So what is it? Come on, I didn't come all the way here with my hunters just to listen to any riddles."

"You see, that's the thing. We NEED a riddle right now." He turned to face Thalia. "This may be another prophecy, but we haven't heard anything from the oracle yet. And we don't really know when we're going to..."

"So why do you need me again?" She asked impatiently.

"I do not know really. Hera just told us that we'd need the hunters at camp. We don't know why. Maybe for extra protection?"

Thalia didn't feel convinced yet. Since when was Chiron unsure of anything?

He sighed. "Just follow me, I'll tell you everything I can."

...

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...


	2. The Boy who played with Death

**Nico Di Angelo**

What exactly was he doing with his life at Camp Half-Blood? He had once been the person who wanted to leave. The one who felt like he would never belong. What happened to that? When he met his new crush, Will Solace, he didn't think he'd ever remember why he wanted to leave. But it turns out that he was wrong.

Will Solace hadn't returned the feelings to him after the war with Gaea. He says he had too many jobs to be able to keep up any relationship. That just made Nico feel a familiar melancholy, one he hadn't felt in a long time: the same feeling he had with Percy Jackson. Heartbreak.

He had given up everything for Will, only to be rejected. He stopped thinking about Thalia Grace, he stopped thinking about Percy, he kept his heart true to Solace, only to be crushed again. That there, just made him angry and sad. Sure they were still friends, but that didn't change the fact that he won't be able to see him as often anymore. He was too busy with medical things.

Nico was back to being a nobody again. It was just like the last prophecy, he had a happy ending for only a few days, then poof. Just like that, he was back to being a no one. He HAD no one. Hazel had left the camp after three days, Jason and Piper had moved back to camp Jupiter along with Frank, Percy and Annabeth left to finish college, and Will had rejected him. It just wasn't fair.

This_ nobody_ was truly himself. What was the point in holding onto hope anymore. Everyone would just leave him, like Bianca. Like Thalia...no...what was he thinking? He couldn't bare to stand the thought of the person he dreaded the most. The one with the hunters... the ones who took away Bianca. The ones that took away...someone who he used to care a lot for.

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...

Nico sat atop of the cabin of Hades watching the other demigods having fun while they constantly fought monsters along the monsters kept coming, which added to their enjoyment. He didn't understand why, but he felt empty, despite the beautiful starry night sky above. He didn't feel like sleeping much so he just stared at the sky, longing for someone, somewhere, he could call home.

"Hey, dude, is it cool if I join you?" A voice came from out of nowhere. He turned around to see someone he would never expect: Leo Valdez.

Normally, Nico would not let anyone inside of his bubble, but he learned to be more open after everything he'd been through. "Uh...sure."

Leo sat right next to him and joined him in staring at the sky. Nico turned to him.

"Aren't you hanging out with Calypso nowadays?" He asked.

"Nah...not even she pays much attention to me. She's busy getting to know _everyone else_." Leo said sadly. "I think she cares more about making friends than me."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"Nah...I'm used to it." There seemed to be a lot to what he meant by those five simple words. Leo sighed.

"It sucks doesn't it?" Leo started.

"What does?"

"Being left out all the time. It hurts." Leo said, hanging his head on his knees. Nico realized he'd found someone who he could relate to. Of course! Leo was the perfect friend for him! Both have been left out during everything, and both have never belonged. Maybe Jason was right; he should take a risk to trust that everyone truly was his _friend_.

"Story of my life." Nico said. They both agreed. They shared a moment of silence as they stared into the skies another time.

"Have you ever lost someone you cared about, knowing you could've done something?" Leo asked with longing in his voice. "Kind of like a 'what-if' thing."

Immediately Nico thought; Thalia Grace. No one knew, not even cupid knew, but Percy Jackson wasn't his only crush. He had admired her spiky black hair, black leather jacket and ripped jeans, death-to-barbie t-shirt, and her skull earrings. Boy did he love skulls. She was so pretty. He claimed that he only wore black to impress his father and make it easier to shadow-travel, but he knew deep inside, that the real reason stemmed from the cool girl he admired deeply. He eventually became alot like her, besides, she was the last of Bianca left in the world. But then betrayal came, and she left to join the hunt, despite knowing that they had caused the death of Bianca. That, and along with many other things, left Nico feeling constantly broken, and lost.

"Tell me about it..." Nico started. He was about to speak up until he heard a loud rumble, and felt the shaking of the entire camp. A crowd of the campers gathered around a girl with red hair; Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the Oracle. Her eyes were glowing green.

"What..." Nico asked.

"Oh jeez, she probably had some of Calypso's cooking..." Leo said.

"Instead of making jokes, maybe we should check it out yeah?" Nico stood up and jumped from the roof, landing with a roll. He made his way through the crowd, vaguely hearing Leo.

"But...that wasn't a joke."

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* * *

Nico ran through the crowd passing by several demigods. Some hadn't noticed, but he rudely pushed them out of the way, making himself a small view of the oracle, between the people. Then he saw a sight that gave him a mix of confused feelings. He saw Thalia Grace and Chiron rushing to the scene.

Nico didn't know whether he should feel angry that she had never gave a thought about Bianca, or if he should be happy that his crush was back. Her pretty electric-blue eyes made contact with his for a split second, then she turned away quickly as if not noticing him. He blushed at her, recognizing the same pretty girl he'd admired, but never got to come to terms with. Then he felt angry at himself for even feeling that way about some...scumbag hunter.

Nico witnessed everyone around him flinch at the voice of the oracle.

_The bound of abominations has been destroyed._

_The ones to reclose them are the ones filled with void._

_The child of death shall lead the way_

_For the hunter that was cast astray_

_Without the sacrafice of death or sky_

_None shall stop the world to die_

The Oracle finished in a demonic voice. With that, Rachel fell to the floor as Will Solace and a bunch of other demigods from the Apollo cabin came to carry her into an infirmary.

It was only then when Leo tapped him, did he realize that one half of the crowd was staring at him.

The other half was staring down at Thalia Grace.

"No..."

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**Credit Song**: Jen Titus- Oh Death

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	3. The New Prophecy

**Thalia Grace**

"No..." Nico started. "It _can't_ be me. You can't just assume that. It could mean-"

"I can't just leave my platoon! She probably meant someone else." Thalia insisted.

A series of mumbling and begging came from the crowd of demigods. They were all saying things like, 'Come on do it. Please. We're tired, they just keep coming,' and the occasional naive people saying 'wait, what's going on again?'

"Quiet down now! Quiet down, come on." Chiron repeated.

Everyone shared a moment of awkward silence, until Chiron spoke up again.

"Thalia Grace, do you accept this quest?" He asked sternly.

"Hold on, how do you know-"

"It's a yes or no. It's quite obvious and you know it. 'The hunter that was cast astray.' " He sighed. "Please, daughter of Zeus, just know that this could possibly mean the world depends on you."

Thalia looked around at all the once-happy faces that turned morbid. They all had the same look her hunters had, when they found out the world was going to end, which in this case, it was. She heard a demigod from outside the borders complaining, "Guys...help please! I'm getting tired. Too many..."

Then she looked at her hunters eating near the dining pavilion. They were clearly exhausted and fatigued. They had been constantly fighting things until they'd reached camp, on her behalf. One had an expression that said, 'go...please...we'll take over for now.'

"I-I will. I accept." Thalia promised.

"Thank you." Chiron replied.

"Everyone else, go back to your cabins, rest up. I need to have a private conversation with our 'savior.'" Chiron winked at her as if to say, 'it'll be fine, it's just like a regular quest.' Everyone obliged, clearing from the amphitheater.

* * *

It seemed they were now in the safe, but if she looked closely, she would've noticed a small figure in an aviator's jacket still in the dark corner. Chiron rubbed his eyes, as he paced back and forth, his hooves clopping with each step.

"Now...If we could just figure out EXACTLY who's the third line-"

"It's me." Nico said out of no where. His mere presence gave even Thalia goosebumps, and she didn't know why. If only he would stop popping out of corners like the creepy boy he was. What happened to him? He was definitely not the same kid she saw back in the lotus hotel casino, nor was he the same kid who cried over his sister. Who exactly was he though? He had a strange look in his eyes that seemed lost, confused, and full of resent: resent towards her.

"Forget what I said earlier. There's really no denying it. It's _always_ the children of Hades who have to do the hard parts in godly problems." he muttered. "I'll do it. Just one condition: keep the _hunter _out of this. I don't want anything to do with the hunters. I work better alone anyways."

Nico met Thalia's eyes, and for a split second she could see red forming on his face. It quickly subsided. "Just stay out of my way okay? And we'll be fine."

Chiron cleared his throat. "But the prophecy specifically states that you're only _leading_ the way! You can't just-"

"Can't what?" Nico sounded unusually angry. "Can't have some hunter follow me, only to get me killed? Yeah...you're dead right."

Thalia was starting to hate this kid's guts. What did he have against the hunters anyway? It wasn't her fault, nor was it the hunter's faults that Bianca _chose _to sacrifice herself. Yeah, he was definitely angry. But what was his problem?

"No no! You're totally correct. You stay here and relax death breath. You needn't be in the company of a hunter, so maybe I should do this alone yeah? Besides how could a son of HADES possibly be useful to a powerful huntress like myself." Thalia chided.

"You insult MY power? Well, I'll show you one thing about power..." Nico gave her a death glare.

"Settle down! Relax...okay? We can't be fighting when the whole world could be at risk." He turned to face Mr. Angst. " Nico...Please...talk this out later, but for now, can we focus on solving this issue?"

"Fine." He turned to face Thalia again, accidentally turning his face into a red tomato, and then back again to white. "Just know know that, I'm doing this for _Bianca. _Not YOU, or any of the hunters."

It made sense now to Thalia. This was about Bianca. As if she even cared. Why would she care about some stupid _boy _anyway? She bet that he was just like every other guy out there. Can't even keep a simple promise. In this case: his promise to Bianca.

Thalia hated boys anyways. They were just heartbreaking monsters all around her, just like Luke...what made _him _any different? No...

She stopped her train of thoughts there.

"Fine. Just hurry up and pack some supplies. Then show me this 'Door of Death'."

"Okay...so I guess it's settled then. You two are officially signed this quest." Chiron concluded.

"Well...first of all, how are we going to get there? And second, why is a hunter required for this?"

A rumble on from above the sky shook the entire camp, and out of nowhere a giant mechanical dragon landed into the amphitheater knocking several things down on impact. On top of it was Leo Valdez, with his unmistakable grin.

"All aboard happy the dragon anyone? Next stop: the doors of death, with terrors that lurk in the underworld, eternal pits of damnations, constant nightmares, and much more for your suffertainment." He laughed aloud.

"That solves the first question." Nico announced. He then rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Let's just get this over with yeah?"

Thalia's heart dropped, were they going to...fly?

**...**

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**...**

**Credit Song:****To Feel Alive- IAMEVE**


	4. Alone

**Thalia Grace**

Thalia had never been so scared in her life. The entire time during the flight she just held onto Nico's shoulder. He seemed to be getting more flustered as they flew above the skies, passing by several countries. She knew that he was going to hate her for that, but she didn't care, she just needed an excuse to look away from the height. She claimed she felt like she was falling off so she held onto him.

The worst part was that the dragon was flying faster than any vehicles in existence. She had to look down several times to make sure her stomach was still attached, only to scare herself even more by accidentally looking down...thousands of feet above the ground.

Thalia wasn't able to focus on most of Leo and Nico's conversations. Sure, it was probably important, but it was also more important to not wet her pants. She focused on looking at the seat of the dragon.

"No! Not now! Flying chickens incoming!" Leo yelled, still not breaking her out of her fear-induced trance. All around them, were flying harpies. Dozens following them, and managing to keep the speed. They all looked hungry for demigod flesh. They launched eggs, talons, and other unknown (not wanted to be known) substances at their dragon.

"Can you make it go faster?" Nico asked loudly.

"Gee! Why didn't I think of that-No! _he _can't go faster or we'll burn out his wings before we make it." Leo shouted sarcastically. "Maybe we could-" His own hair flew over his face.

Meanwhile, Thalia was still focusing on not looking down. She could still feel herself dying on the inside.

"Thalia!" Nico's muffled voice ordered. "Thalia! Use your bow!"

Thalia woke up from her trance. "Don't-don't worry, I-I got this, just..." She pulled out her bow, and notched an arrow. She tried her hardest not to shake but she couldn't help it. She aimed an arrow down the sights of her bow towards one of the flying chickens.

A hail of arrows was released from her bow, some going to waste but at least three of them hit at other harpies. Festus was blowing fire from his mouth at the front. She repeatedly shot arrows at different harpies, most going to waste because she couldn't keep her hands straight. More just kept swarming around them like an ocean of flying chickens.

"This isn't working!" Nico yelled.

"Gee you think?" Leo replied.

Suddenly, Festus was shaded by a black shadow. They looked up, only to find several hundreds of harpies hovering above them.

Nico stood up from the seat of Festus.

"Man what are you doing?"

"I...think...if I could just..." Nico said, raising his hand towards the shadow of Festus. He drew his sword as he phased into the shower.

Thalia began to panic, now having nothing to hold on to. Above them, Nico teleported under the shadow of a flying harpy. He slashed the thing into dust in mid-air, then phased into the shadow of another harpy, doing the same thing. He repeated it several times, looking angrier after each strike.

Thalia freaked out and suddenly electricity surged around her body, shocking a harpy right on time as it flew into her face.

"Nice shot!" Leo cheered.

"Leo..f-fly us around in circles! I have an idea! We just need to get them all around the same area."

Leo obliged to her with silence. He turned Festus around in circles, making the world spin around them. It was successful as it made all the harpies chase them. Once they were all gathered around them, Thalia raised her hand into the sky to summon just one lightning bolt, just one will do.

Thalia used her years of training with the hunters to use. Her hawk-eye gave her good timing on the lightning: the electricity pierced through the the wave of harpies like dominos. The lightning bolt followed them as they flew in a circuit resembling an electric tornado.

"Yes-Gah!" Thalia screamed.

"That was...hot. I mean...me of course." Leo laughed, and for once even Thalia had to join in on the joy.

He turned around to look at the seat behind him. "Did you see that Ni...co...?"

"Nico! Oh shoot!" Leo shouted in sudden realization.

Festus swerved suddenly making a direct one-eighty turn, interrupting Thalia when she began to speak. She only managed a gasp.

Falling down right next to them barely missing his seat, in a split-second was Nico screaming "Ahhhhh! You jerks! You got rid of the shadows!"

"Found him!" Leo shouted in triumph. "Come on boy, fetch! Fetch the falling zombie dude!" He patted Festus' head.

The dragon was about to spiral downwards until a harpy clutched onto the figurehead, blocking its view. The dragon began to panic, and soon several more clutched onto him. Festus swerved around uncontrollably as more piled onto him, chewing pieces off of his metal plating.

"They're back ALREADY?" Leo asked in frustration.

Leo turned around to face her, looking serious for once. "Thalia! Get Nico! I'll get a hold of Festus!"

Thalia heard him, but wasn't able to respond while she was enshocked.

"We're above the House of Hades! I think this is where it was!" He yelled pointing downwards. "Just save Nico! He'll show you through. Hopefully he knows who we're trying to look for!"

"Yeah...okay. You're right, I'll do it! I just need a...a few seconds." Her stomach felt like electrical butterflies. Not good ones either. She breathed in deeply and with that, she dived downwards.

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Thalia closed her eyes still feeling numb. She screamed for a long time, but soon realized that it wasn't going to do anything: She was already there may as well just get it over with. She tucked her body inwards increasing her fall speed.

Soon she was closing in on Nico. He wasn't hard to notice, considering how he stupidly panicked, flailing his arms around. She collided with him, and pulled him in closer. He soon stopped fighting back when he realized he was being held. He was still breathing heavily however.

"Th...Thalia?" He muttered as they fell downwards.

"You can do it. Come on...You can do it!" Thalia repeated to herself, keeping her eyes closed.

"Come on winds...don't fail me now! I finally decided to fly...come on!"

She raised one hand between her and Nico, as they kept falling. Soon she felt something air-like under her. She was doing it!

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...

Then two large metal claws grabbed onto both of them. Festus... who was now covered in harpy dust.

"Gotcha!" Leo called out.

"That's great and all, but can we please just land?" Thalia begged. Nico looked sick.

* * *

"Well, what do you guys think?" Leo asked.

"It's...a pile of rocks." Thalia replied.

"What happened to it? This is Greece right?" Nico stared at it blankly.

"Yup, just like you said. It was hear right? Where we found Annabeth...and Percy." Leo joked. Nico seemed flustered at the mention of Percy.

They stood atop of the hill staring at a foot-ball field length of destroyed rocks and rubbles. The sun shined brightly but it was still dull: just ruins and debris. In fact, there was so much debris, that it almost seemed like a labyrinth; a maze of endless possible tunnels. Did the 'seven' REALLY have to destroy the whole darn thing?

"This isn't going to work." Nico said. "How are we going to get in?"

"Well...can't you just...geokinesis it out of the way or something?" Leo joked nervously.

Nico gave him a death-glare. "No...I don't have the strength to move that much...rock."

"Well...Let's look around then at least. Maybe we can figure something out. It can't be ALL rocks and debris." Thalia suggested.

"Wait...hang on...maybe this is why a hunter was sent on this quest." Leo said.

"Was that a...joke or...?"

"No...I'm actually _dead_ serious." Leo laughed. "Get it Nico? DEAD? HAHA...I'm punny..."

Thalia and Nico just stared at him blankly.

"...so you were saying?" Thalia asked.

"You guys are no fun. All your black clothes and such...ugh..." He continued muttering.

"Leo. Explain." Nico said sternly.

"Okay, so as I've heard, Artemis hunters are good at tracking right?"

"Correct. We are."

"So if that were true, then maybe the whole reason you two were chosen was because you make the perfect team no? Or something else...if you know what I mean." Leo winked. "So that being said, let's do a headcount: A son of the creepy death lord sith guy, who's most likely familiar with the underworld. Then we got the hunter, who's good at tracking stuff, surviving and scavenging. Yeah...it makes sense actually."

A sudden loud sound pierced all three of their ears. It sounded like metal being blended. "Festus! Oh jeez I forgot! Are you alright buddy?!" Leo yelled out panicked. He immediately ran to his aid as the dragon stumbled about making clacking noises that probably meant: Ow ow ow!

Leo pulled out a numerous amount of tools from his magical belt, and went straight to work. "Um...I gotta make sure nothing's wrong with him. You go do your deathboyxskygirl thing."

"Don't call it that." Nico said, blushing.

'Ew!' Thalia thought. She wouldn't ever date him! Besides they had nothing in common. Then she took a look at her clothes, their backgrounds, and moody attitude, and decided to stray away from her thoughts.

"Hey...come on dude. Let's just get it over with yeah? The sooner the better."

* * *

They had been walking around for quite a while, just avoiding obstacles, and climbing over debris. Thalia had to hook a rope down for Nico to climb since he wasn't as nimble as her. Seriously, why can't this guy just learn to wall run?

"Why can't you just learn to wall run?" Thalia chided.

"Why can't you stop complaining about me being a boy?" He replied.

"Just climb."

Nico climbed up with all his effort. He grunted as he pulled himself up and onto the higher rock. Thalia held her hand out to help him up.

"I don't need your help." He rudely brushed her off.

"Dude. What's your problem?"

"What's my problem? You're seriously asking that right now? Let's just hurry up and get this over with, and find the dang thing we're looking for." He replied coldly.

"No! You're telling me right now. I know you well enough to know that you're just going to continue this on and on and on. So tell me right now. What exactly are you so mad at ME for?"

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...

Nico glared at Thalia, anguish clearly in his face. "Bianca...that's what."

Thalia's heart ached at the mention of her name. If she had gave a thought about how a boy might feel then maybe she would've realized how much she meant to him. She had been so focused on her own problems with Luke, that she forgot about her promise to Bianca herself. She was supposed to look after Nico. The night before she said: 'Please, look after Nico for me if something happens, he's going to need a friend in his life.' But no...she was busy feeling sorry for herself about a stupid boy(Luke), that she decided to join the hunters, which made her not even give a second thought to a boy.

"Nico...I had no control over that. I'm sorry, really...I AM."

"You were her friend! And you let her die!"

The worst stung her through the heart. She didn't need to be reminded that she broke her promise to her friend.

"She died!" Nico's voice raised. "She died thinking you were the one of the Prophecy! And yet you went on and joined the hunt. Just to avoid it, like a coward. Look at you, Recruiting more girls as if she was replaceable." Shadows formed an aura around him and the ground started to crack.

Thalia was burdened with a lot of guilt, all at once. Then it quickly turned to rage. She didn't have to take that from some boy. This is exactly why the hunters hated them, and she understood now.

"Hey! DO NOT insult my family like that! The hunters had NOTHING to do with this! Get over it! We ALL lost someone." Thalia snapped. Electricity sparked around her body. A small portion of the clouds on her side turned darker.

"What do YOU know about _loss_?" Nico asked coldly. "You haven't lost anything."

The words sounded like deep insults, like they were trying to make her feel powerless. After all she'd been through, he dare had the nerve to say she lost nothing. Her mother, her little brother, her boyfriend, and he dared to say she'd lost nothing?

She wanted to throw lightning around, but unlike him, she was able to control her anger. She calmed down and said one word.

"Luke..."

Nico's eyes widened with surprise. All his anger seemed to clear at once.

"Luke...I lost Luke. Don't you get it?" Thalia said, her voice cracking.

Nico gasped. "Thalia...no...I didn't mean to...I'm...I'm sorry I-I..."

"I lost him! And I was afraid! I had no time to mourn, and I couldn't think straight. So leave me alone! I don't OWE you anything!" she yelled out tearfully. "I'm alone, and you're alone. That's the end of it. Now go ahead, hate me if you want. Deep down inside, I don't care anymore to live if I'm going to be alone." She faced away from him.

Nico stared at her speechless.

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...

The floor under them cracked, and out came Thanatos, the gatekeeper of death. He stared at them, eyeing them up and down. He seemed to have pity in his eyes.

"Lord Thanatos?" Nico muttered.

"Yes. And I know who you both are. And I have to say, the gods deeply apologize for you. As do I"

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Are you the one we're looking for? We don't know what the prophecy means yet just so you know."

"You'll soon figure out what you were chosen for, but for now all I can do is warn you about your fate, you-" Thanatos was interrupted by a huge earthquake knocking all three of them down.

"Gaea! She went to Tartarus! She learned to use the earth to open the doors from the outside! You have to go! NOW!" He yelled teleporting them out of the labyrinth-like debris.

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Nico and Thalia ran aimlessly as the ground around them shook violently. Thalia was able to keep up ahead and jump over the falling trees. Nico seemed to be falling behind. She'd forgotten that he was not as trained as a hunter with obstacles.

"Ah!" Nico screamed. To her horror, he was pinned under a tree with the ground opening into a huge fissure.

Thalia immediately ran to his aid. She wasn't going to abandon him: Not this time. Not ever again.

She lifted the tree up with all her might successfully freeing Nico. Just as she helped him to his feet, the ground under her cracked along the line of the fissure.

Immediately, Thalia pushed Nico out of the way of the falling range, and prepared for a hard fall into the never ending abyss. She closed her eyes being glad she at least died saving him.

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Thalia reopened her eyes and saw a hand with a skull ring gripping hers. Nico.

Nico hung from the earthly fissure, his sword impaled onto the edge about fifteen feet below the top.

"What...Nico! Why? Now we're both going to die!"

Leo suddenly appeared over the edge of the fissure trying to reach down uselessly. He threw down a ladder but it wasn't long enough to reach. "Nico! Thalia! Just hang on okay!"

"Leo! It's your turn to lead them there! Do it! Find the doors! They're somewhere under debris! Just find it! Can you do that? I _trust _you!"

"Yeah...yeah I can." Leo promised.

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Nico faced Thalia.

"I was listening you know? And I DO get it..." He replied with a smile under his hopeless eyes. "But just know...you're NOT alone."

The words gave Thalia a bittersweet smile. She felt touched that at least they were able to make up at last second. At least they weren't going to die alone. His abyssal-black eyes met her electric-blue eyes, and they both got the unspoken message: At least we've got each other.

With that, they let go and fell into the unknown.

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**Credit Song: ****April Breeze-Brian Crain**

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**Author's note: HI RANDOMER! LOVE YOU!**


	5. Hopeless

**Nico (Tartarus)**

Nothing.

Not even a word from Thalia Grace herself, neither of them said anything as they spiraled towards their inevitable doom. There was NO way he would be able to escape Tartarus a second time. He hoped she wouldn't be alone again as he had been in his first trip.

He whispered into her ear so that he could maybe...just maybe, he would be able to tell her his last thoughts about how he TRULY felt about her.

"I'd fall into Tartarus again, for you..."

Nico felt her arms pull him in closer, in the pitch black view of their falling surroundings. No audible sounds of anything else other than the velocity of the wind as they plummeted. He pressed his head against what he assumed to be her face, feeling tears dropping into his hair.

Another eternity passed by but he didn't feel anything but comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone. He didn't feel like trying anymore, he didn't feel like fighting, and he certainly didn't care about living anymore, as long as he was with Thalia. No...wait, what was he thinking?

He never realized it, but he was already nearing an end of the long drop: the source of his negative thoughts being the river of hopelessness below them, just a few miles down. The voices whispered things like, _give up, don't even try,_ and more depressing thoughts.

"Thalia? THALIA!" He yelled.

"...what...what happened-AHHHH!" She screamed as she looked down. Nico had almost forgotten about her fear of heights. He held her face, preventing her from looking down.

"Thal, look at me, please. You have to summon winds, like right now!"

She looked down anyway, "Oh GODS! Oh god oh god!" Immediately she looked back upwards, and spread her hands.

"Thalia PLEASEEEE! OH gods we're going to die!"

Just as they were about to hit the surface of the river, a bubble of wind surrounded him and almost gave him whiplash.

"Huh? Thalia! YOU DID IT! You-" He turned to face her; her eyes were drowsy with effort. She looked as if about to faint.

"Why?" She faced him, looking sadder than ever. "Why did you make me do this? There was no point in surviving, we were going to die anyway. We're in Tartarus, we belong with the lost souls."

"Thalia! Snap out of it! They're trying to bring YOU down too! I've been here before...you...-" He felt his eyes drop, along with the bubble of air, and into the river of hopelessness they fell. "You're right."

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_What was the point in fighting anymore if he was just going to be brought back down into Tartarus again?_

_Why fight knowing you're going to lose anyway?_

_Why fight knowing you're going to_ _have no one in the end anyways?_

_Why fight knowing you're alone?_

Nico suddenly felt like dying. He lay back down in the water to let the hopeless sould consume him. All the negative energy was just too much for him. He closed his eyes and sank down.

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"You liar!" Thalia yelled into his ears. "You lied to me! You said I wasn't alone! And now...you're going to just give up on me, and die? Wake up!"

Nico was currently in sleep paralysis mode and he couldn't wake up as much as he wanted to. But he could definitely feel her shaking him. He felt a sudden shock throughout his body, and his eyes finally gave him control. He coughed raspily.

"Nico! You..." She looked at him with relief in her eyes, which quickly turned into anger. "Don't DO THAT! You-OW!" the sound of glass meeting flesh echoed.

The sand wasn't sand...it was glass, a place made of pure torture, just as he remembered. It wasn't any less horrifying than the first time.

"No...NO NO! NO!" Nico screamed out recklessly. The pain, the memories, the monsters, the deepest darkest fears...he could feel it all again, nearly having a relapse. He wanted it to be just another nightmare, but it was real. Way too real.

"Nico! Calm down! We have to...-" Thalia fell silent, staring up at the true horrors of Tartarus. Like before, the air was warm and sticky despite them shivering. The place had a dark aura of orange and red colors, different horrible types of abominations flew around what was presumed to be the sky of Tartarus. Everything was even worse than before. Tears started to fall down Thalia's face, her eyes filled with fear.

Nico couldn't imagine what she was seeing, but he definitely didn't want to see her suffer anymore. He of all people understood the true horrors of witnessing Tartarus at first sight. The things it does to a person...

"Mom! Mom! Jason! Luke!" Thalia began to twirl around ecstatically. Nico's heart broke at the sight of seeing another person having to witness the horrors of this place.

"Let go of them! Let...let go!" She screamed. The delirious Thalia drew her spear and shield and charged at nothing in the dark orange mist. She was bleeding badly from the cuts, but she seemed to be ignoring it.

Nico quickly sucked it up. He had to save her, he wouldn't want anyone to be left alone, not in here. He sprinted after her, ignoring the sharp pains he felt from the glass cutting at his skin. He screamed in pain, but he couldn't afford to stop, not now.

"Thalia! Don't! It's just an illusion!" He cried out.

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"Thalia?"

Still no response.

Nico could hear the sounds of people screaming in pain in the distance, and he could also hear the constant whispers of hopelessness echoing around the entire place.

_Alone_

_You will die alone! _

_Alone...In Tartarus._

_She left_

_You have no hope_

_No hope of escaping_

_Not this time. _

"Thalia! Please!" He begged. "Thal...oh god..." He was about to break down until he saw a girl in the distance, her head was hanging low as if she'd been let down again.

'Thank gods. She's alive.' He thought.

"Thal, are you okay?" He asked, tapping her shoulder. She flinched and immediately turned around. Her eyes looked pained, full of regrets and horrible memories. He wondered, if something was breaking inside of her; just like himself.

"I thought...I thought..." She stuttered.

"I know...it's horrible, everything we see here...it's personal." He started, sympathetically. "We have to remember though, none of these illusions are real. We can't afford to think they're real. We..."

"Just shut up." Thalia sneered at him. "I know, we just...We have to think of a way to get out of here. No time to dwell." She seemed to be sucking up her emotions and trying to focus. Nico could tell though, that she was truly hurt by whatever she saw, and he understood firsthand why.

Thalia quickly shuffled through her jacket looking for something. She cursed.

"I dropped the ambrosia!" She pulled her hair, as Nico stared speechlessly. She inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"Come on. You can do this. You're a hunter. You're adaptable to any environment. You can do anything." She told herself.

Awkward silence.

Nico decided to ask. "What're we going to do now?"

"Just...just give me a darn moment!" After long moments of staring at nothing, she finally made a decision.

Thalia began trudging through the glass sand and towards the lava-like liquid.

"Don't touch that!" Nico yelled out. He grabbed her from behind, only to be punched in the face. "Hey, I'm trying to help you!"

"Don't tell me what to do! I don't need to listen to some _boy_ for help! I can handle this on my OWN!"

"What is the DEAL with you?!" He yelled back. "Now suddenly YOU'RE the one who's angry? Did that conversation we had before this mean ANYTHING to you?"

Thalia flinched at the mention.

"So what?! You snap at me and you expect me not to hate you back?" Tension was building up on her. "You came to me and told me that I broke some unknown 'promise', tell me that I never cared about my friend, and then you _insult _me, telling me that I NEVER lost anything in my life?"

"Clearly you haven't, considering you're acting as if I'm some dead person to you. Some dead boy. Some...Bianca to you."

"I told you already! I cared about her! She was like a sister to me!" Sparks seeped from Thalia's body, making the lava swirl like a mini whirpool.

"You left me! You said you wouldn't, but you did! And you...you..."

"Why do you care about ME so much anyway?! Why do you want me to be with you so much? What am I huh, your mother?"

"Thalia...the reason why...Is it really that hard to figure out?"

"YOU are hard to figure out."

"I had a crush on you Thalia! For the longest dam time! And I've been missing you day after day after day and I just couldn't stand it anymore. Don't you get it?!"  
Nico's eyes began to well up. He knew it was hopeless, he should've just gave up the moment he started to admire her. He turned to face away from her.

"It's like chasing someone you know will never come back to their senses."

Thalia's gaze seemed more sympathetic now.

"Nico...It's...it's okay...really, it IS." She muttered. "But I'm sorry, I can't be the one for you. I can't be _with _you. I'm a hunter, and there is no one left in the world for me."

Nico regained his composure slightly.

"I'm...I'm sorry...I just couldn't let it eat at me anymore. I didn't mean any of the stuff I said, I was just in denial and-"

"Dude...It's okay, I get it. Let's just find a way to help ourselves. We have to work together. You...and me." She patted his shoulder in a sisterly way, then faced the lava liquid. "I have a feeling this should be a way."

Nico faced the same way as her.

"What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Hey...I'm a hunter. I know things." She reassured him.

With that, they took a drink from the mystery liquid.

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Nico blacked out along with Thalia as the gasoline tasting beverage slithered down their throats.

He woke up moments later to find Thalia, who looked like she'd just had another nightmare. She sat there staring at the river longingly with her knees tucked in.

He knew what had happened.

The same thing that happened to him: she witnessed the disturbing realities of her own memories.

"Can we...can we just-just go?" She muttered shakily, her eyes being even tearier than before.

"Yeah...We-we have to."

The duo trudged out of the glassy shore and into the horrible unknown.

What kind of cruel, hopeless place was this?

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**Credit Song: ****The world is fading-epic orchestral**

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**Author's note: ****YES! I FINALLY DID IT! I wrote another chapter! Although I'll admit that I'm DEFINITELY losing my touch. I can't seem to find that lust for writing anymore for some reason. :( Well it's okay I'll still force myself to finish this fic, just for you. 3**


	6. Anger

**Thalia Grace (Tartarus)**

Do dreams come true? If they did...then so would nightmares...

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Thalia was living a nightmare just in her own head. For majority of the trek, she had kept her eyes closed as she walked with Nico behind her. He didn't seem as phased by any of this as her, but something was _definitely_ hitting him; just as something was _definitely_ hitting _her_.

Her eyes kept getting dry and felt as if they were burning, which was a good excuse for her to keep them shut. But in truth, she was merely just avoiding the harsh memories that flashed along the walls of the rocky hill to which they began climbing. So many...memories...filled with the worst times of her life. It was an unending gif of her mother's car crashing.

"Don't...just don't look at them. I know it's hard but they're just memories...they _want_ you to feel hurt so you'll stop climbing." Nico said

"How do you know that?"

"I've been here before. Just push through." His eyes shifted away from hers with a twinge of madness.

"Yeah...I'll push through. That's what we hunters are about." She tried to sound confident despite living through a nightmare.

Nico seemed to be getting flustered as he pushed on along with her. His eyes kept furrowing more and more after every few steps.

She sighed with exhaustion. "What about you? How are _you_ holding up?"

Nico's eyes began to droop as he walked. His knees seemed to be shaking a lot more than usual. It seemed like she was talking to herself the whole time.

"Hey, if something's wrong, you need to let me know. Otherwise I can't help you. Besides I wouldn't want to lose you down here. I wouldn't want to be alone. Heh...I can't imagine how YOU got through this alon-"

Before Thalia could finish her sentence, she realized that they were already on the top of the long stony hill. What met them at the top was a heart-dropping sight.

* * *

What lay in front of them was a narrow path of more horrors. It seemed like a long tunnel filled with a dark grey aura that flashed bad memories. All around its interior lining, was the faces of damned souls which most likely weren't able to surpass these images and were doomed to dwell for eternity.

The tunnel gave chills down her spine just from being near it. It's mere presence was enough to give her an uncanny feeling of heart ache and pain. The most disturbing part was how it whispered her every negative words throughout her life in a deep sinister voice.

Nico shouted. "Agh! This place...it-Agh!" he grabbed his head and pulled his hair.

"Nico, what's-Agh!" A seering pain jabbed at the inside of her brain, filling her with all the anguish she had felt her entire life.

Nico was beginning to walk into the endless tunnel...why? "Bianca...? BIANCA!" He sprinted into further into the abyss.

"Don't! It's probably an...illusion...?" Her voice stopped at the sight of a boy with blonde hair, a scar across his eye, and still having the same handsome face she'd remembered him with: Luke Castellan, the only one who she'd ever felt _it _with.

_Thalia, come with me. Come on, we can be together again. Forget the hunters, you don't have to give up love anymore...you've found it right here._

"No...NO! You're NOT REAL! You're dead!" She tried to resist, but her legs kept walking forward anyways. A part of her wanted to stay away and say it was an illusion, but there was NO way. This was too real for her.

Luke held out his hand. His smile was as reassuring as ever, and she could finally feel that same happiness she'd felt with him while on the roads with Annabeth.

_How could you say that Thalia? Don't you recognize me?_

"I-I...I do, I don't...this is too..."

_Why are you hesitating Thalia? I love you. Come back to me...please..._

"But...you...you said you wouldn't ever leave us. You said-"

_But I'm back NOW aren't I? I'm still with you...don't you see?_

Lukes eyes seemed to be filled with so much longing and regret; there was no way she would let her lover suffer any longer. He was right, they _belonged _together, and they don't need anything else to be happy.

"I do see. I do." Tears of joy filled her eyes as she grabbed his hand. Luke gently led her towards the tunnel, which was slowly morphing into a beautiful meadow with her death Tree shining brightly under the sunlight. Finally, she could be at peace.

Thalia stepped into the sunlight and immediately she buried her face into Luke's shoulder, embracing in a familiar feeling she enjoyed.

* * *

_See Thalia? I told you...I'm still with you_

_I _

_love_

_you-you-you..._

Luke's voice turned demonic and the beautiful background faded into the scary tunnel again. Thalia gasped in horror.

His face became more bruised and battered along with the rest of his clothes. He was filled with cuts all around his body through his tattered outfit, and his eyes had turned a demonic gold like Kronos'.

"Luke! NO! I didn't...-oh gods." She panicked, not being able to control her breathing.

Luke's face became full of anguish and lodged into his stomach was the cursed blade. He began to bleed out of his mouth just as his illusion faded away.

Her tears of joy instantly turned into tears of pain. She had been tricked into the tunnel of suffering by an illusion of this damned place. Her heart was played with yet again which ached her chest harder than any dagger could have.

Thalia fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably, and all that could be heard was the voices of the tunnel whispering over and over.

_why..._

_why me?_

_why_

_why_

_why can't I be happy_

_why do **I** deserve this_

_why-why-why..._

The bad memories consumed her as she could no longer cope with the despair bestowed upon her since she'd arrived to Tartarus.

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A hand with a silver skull ring reached for the collar of her jacket and pulled her out of the dark endless tunnel-way. She landed onto more sharp stones, which woke her up from her trance.

"Come on-come on...be okay!"

She flushed her eyes open.

"...Thalia...?" Nico asked innocently. "Oh no..."

Their eyes met and he got the unspoken message: she was forever broken. He helped her up to her feet, placing her arm around his shoulder, and his arm around her waist.

"What-what did you see?" Nico stuttered.

"L-L-Let's just...let's just go-I wanna go." She finally spoke.

"Oh okay. I-I get it. It's horrible...the things they make us see...I saw-" Nico's voice cracked.

There was an unexplainable amount of shattering inside his eyes that he was trying to hide. If what she'd seen was going to scar her that much, she couldn't _imagine _what Nico had seen. His eyes seemed to be filled with a hidden grudge: and endless lust for vengeance.

Neither of them decided to speak any further about the topic. They began to trudge onwards, deeper into the abyss.

A deep voice boomed inside her head: the voice of Tartarus himself.

_Don't worry...that is only a portion of the pain you will feel through your experience._

_No worries though...you're suffering will not be for nothing._

_It will be here to strengthen me...it will give me power...power to finally open the doors myself._

_So please...enjoy your suffering. _Tartarus' voice laughed sinisterly.

All the pain Thalia had felt so far, only made her angry. A deep anger that came from unexplainable torturous experiences. An anger that fueled from so much deception. An anger that fueled from knowing that she'd lost everything.

If he wanted suffering: she'll _show _him suffering.  
Thalia would...no... _will_ make it to the doors of death, then personally find Tartarus himself and unleash the wrath of Zeus.

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**Credit song: ****Queen of Shadows-Gothic music**

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**Author's Note:**** I chose this song, because it would kind of express the angers that Thalia and Nico may have felt through their lives. This story may be getting darker music as it progresses...I figured it would fit the overall plot of Tartarus. Tell me what you think.**

**And about the waiting time...All i can say is I'm sorry. It's only recently I found my motivation to write again when I read through your lovely supportive reviews. So sorry, and thank you all. (Not going to pick favorites) See you next chapter if anyone is still reading this XD**


	7. Anchor

**Thalia Grace (Tartarus)**

The second stage of anger is the sadness that kicks in. Other wise known as...

Misery.

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Nico was silent. Not a word from him since they'd been through the walkway of memories. Nothing was to be said anyway: she understands firsthand now why the kid would be so silent around her and Percy.

Nico was silent, but kept a watchful eye as if someone might be chasing them. Why though? Yeah, she understood that maybe he heard the voice of Tartarus, but why stay so watchful? There's no hiding from him now; it's the cold truth and they have to face their fears head-on. Thalia decided to ask him directly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she started simple. He shuffled under her arm.

"Oh...uh...nothing." He blushed; something he did very often since he'd admitted a crush on her. It was like he wanted to run from her now, but why? He didn't have to be afraid of her from something merely as petty as a crush. Leo had a crush on her once, but it didn't mean that she wouldn't cooperate with him. So why was it such a touchy subject?

"It's just the stuff I saw back there. What about you? Are _you_ alright? It must be terrible having to see all this for the first time." He continued.

"I...-" Thalia's voice stopped. She had always been like that; hiding her problems...always running from them. She did that when her brother disappeared, she did that when her mother died, and she did that when Luke died. It was always best not to think about things, therefore you won't have to feel the pain.

Thalia chose not to meet his eyes. She didn't want anyone to see her cry.

Nico looked away, which she appreciated.

The ground they walked on felt rough and glassy, like all the broken pieces of every soul's heart was mixed together to form a long endless pathway through Tartarus.

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There was no question that something...or someone was following._ Now_ Thalia understood what Nico might be so watchful for. The sound of echoing sobs filled the air as they advanced further and further on the pathless ground. Then the noise suddenly stopped.

_Misery awaits you demigods. _Tartarus' voice boomed.

They both simultaneously flinched. Which was strange; she was never really scared of much. Something about the voice though, gave her chills regardless of what she was feeling, almost as if it were foreshadowing to her...no...mocking her, of what was to come.

"Thalia...don't. He feeds off of all our negative emotions. The more we listen, the worse this place gets." Nico said, breaking her out of her trance. She nodded at him and then continued to walk.

Thalia felt the ground rumble as wind blew her hair astray. Above them were dozens of ugly creatures just hovering above them. Their faces gave an uncanny feeling like the face of a Child's Play doll strapped onto bat-like bodies. They circled the two in large intervals, following them as they continued to advance.

Nico regarded his hand on top of his sword. His chained belt jingled as he began to draw his sword.

"Don't." Thalia immediately muttered to him. "I've seen these monsters before, they _want _you to attack and then miss. Then they'll eventually wear you out after constantly repeating that."

"Oh, okay. Wait, how did you know that?" Nico asked, surprised.

"Well, you know...being a hunter and all..." That was all Thalia had to say as evidence of her intellect now. In truth, she wasn't lying, she'd faced numerous amounts of monsters out on the field with her hunter friends.

"So what should we do then?" He asked.

"We need to find something that will hide us, or at least give us a lower profile. Like...A shelter! Yes! Then we'll wait it out until they leave, decide to land, or give up on us."

"You sure that will work?"

She smirked at him. The look on Nico's face told her that he got the unspoken message: _I'm a hunter. So yes._ Thalia loved that affect she had on people. Everyone always seemed to believe in her abilities as a leader, making it clear that she was confident of herself.

"Ah, the unspoken message through a stare...I get it. I used to do that."

"Nico, focus. We need to think of a way to get away from those things."

"Oh, right."

"One thing I forgot to mention: These flying predators, no matter WHAT type, will always wait for its preys to get away from their safety. In this case, this river Phlem thing-"

"Phlegethon." Nico corrected.

"This..._river _is our 'safety'."

"So what's your point?"

"Well, If we just follow this river thing then they won't attack us, not for a while at least. Just one problem though: How in Zeus' fartbombs are we supposed to find some kind of shelter in here?"

"Hmph...you hunters really are versatile to anything."

The chuckie-bats began to circle them even more ecstatically above. Not a good sign: they were most likely getting ready for an attack.

"We should probably hurry and think of something fast. Like, where _exactly_ are we?" Thalia spoke anxiously.

"Actually...I might know." Nico said. It looked like a light-bulb lit in his brain

"IF I estimated correctly from my memory, we might be in the 'Dark lands' section of Tartarus. So that being said, going straight north, there's a chance it could lead to the Shrine of Hermes. We'll just have to follow the River Phlegethon there. Heck, there might even be some food from the tributes back at camp."

"Oh...so _now _you bring up all this. Ugh...just like Luke, always keeping things to himself." She muttered. Where did THAT thought come from?

"...what...?" Nico asked. Apparently, he didn't hear it.

"Nothing." She said immediately. "So wait...How did _you _know _that?_"

"Well...you know...being a son of Hades and all." He smirked.

"Right." Thalia nodded."Are you sure it'll work though?"

Nico gave her a creepy smile which sent shivers down her spine. She got the unspoken message: _I'm a son of Hades. So yes_. The moment was then filled with awkward silence.

"See...? Two can play at that game."

Thalia laughed loudly, making the flying monsters above them flinch along with Nico. Her laugh surprised Nico and even _herself_, for that matter. Why was she laughing? It felt good though, something about this boy gave her a familiar joy.

Maybe it was the common dark humor, maybe it was the way they loved to dominate over others, or maybe it was how similar they really were and maybe-...no. She shouldn't even think about it.

Something about Nico in particular brought to life a warm feeling inside her heart that had died years ago.

Nico looked at her as if he'd seen a ghost. She understood why though: She had no doubt that seeing _Thalia Grace _laughing, better yet, _smiling_ certainly had to be a scary sight. She looked at him, then turned away, feeling a blush coming.

Thalia cleared her throat. "Maybe we should go before they attack us already."

"Uh, yeah...agreed."

The two took a gross sip out of the river and then began to run along the path of its flow.

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The flying chuckies seemed to only be getting closer. Was this plan even going to work? Why was the walk so long? How are her feet still alive? Will this orange mist ever end?

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Right when she finished that thought, she could see a figure of a building, but not just any building. It was the shrine of Hermes.

"Wow, you were right after all."

"Course I am. This is my new vacation spot now." He replied sarcastically. His eyes widened.

The flying Keres started to close in on the ground, screeching louder as if signaling for an attack. They had to get indoors. Now.

"Run!"

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They managed to make it to the doors without much struggle, other than a hard sprint. With that they slammed the two doors of the front entrance. After that the screeching of the creatures died down into eventual silence.

"Well, what now Mrs. Hunter?" Nico remarked mockingly.

"Mrs?" Thalia arched her eyebrow.

"Oh right, sorry. Anyways...welcome to the...shrine of Hermes..." He said unsure. Probably the 'welcome' part isn't applicable to this situation.

"Wow...it's...surprisingly beautiful here."

The place was less like a shrine and more like a church. The interior designs made it seem almost as if they weren't in the middle of the underworld. A beautiful cathedral with colorful windows along the upper walls and many pictures of Hermes...the god of messages...and father of Luke. The thought ached her chest but she immediately brushed it off.

"What are we waiting for? Food is this way. I smell it." Thalia said, pointing straight forward from the entrance.

"How do you kn-...you hunters have some great senses." He complimented. He followed her down the long walkway that led to the altar.

As they reached the altar the smell of pizza, burgers, bacon, fries and many other delicious things crowded her nose. She never realized how hungry she was until she smelled the food.

An image of Luke Castellan flashed through her eyes and suddenly her hand was on a small figurine of Hermes that lay on top of the altar's table. A flash of light temporarily blinded her and out of the altar exploded a lot of fresh food wrapped in foil.

"Oh wow. I didn't even see that. How did you know they were there?" Nico asked, wiping some pepperoni off of his face.

"I-I didn't." Thalia could feel her eyes welling up, but she knew it was too petty to be thinking about something that happened so long ago. She couldn't afford to start crying compulsively.

"Hey, It's okay. It disappeared." Nico said sympathetically. "And yes, I saw. I can see ghosts. It was _him._"

He met her eyes. They were startlingly pitch-black, but something in them hid a solace that came from knowing what pain was like. Thalia couldn't hold it in anymore. Her chest heaved intensely. Tears burst down her face like an ocean, and all she wanted to do at this moment was to be held by someone.

Nico immediately ran to her for a hug. A hug that she would remember forever. The contact she felt with _this_ boy felt right, and...familiar...something about it made her feel...warm...like nothing was wrong anymore.

"It's okay. It's okay. I won't judge you for having human emotions."

This cry was surprisingly not an intense violent sob like she expected, but a silent one. A silent cry that was enough to show her somber but calm pain. She had built so much intense sadness in her heart, but when she let it out, it was pacified by solace of Nico's hug. Something about him let her know that she wasn't alone; she wasn't weak, especially not for having human emotions. His mere presence contradicted her fatal flaw; power lust, a sense of being strong. He had gave her an unspoken message that she in fact _wasn't _weak, and she didn't have to pretend that she had no feelings. She didn't have to use an escape like she did with the hunters. She didn't have to run.

"We're only human. It's okay to cry, you don't have to hide it. We ALL need an anchor once in a while. I know I certainly did." Nico gazed into her tear-filled face, and he was...smiling? Well...she could consider it a smile; his eyebrows were raised and his lips formed an arch, but she could see his lack of cheek muscles, and his struggle to keep it up. But she thought he couldn't look any more beautiful.

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**Credit Song: ****Stephanie Schneiderman- Anchor**

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**Author's Note: Took me a while, but I finished! Hope you're still there :P. If not...oh well...regardless I'm GOING to finish it. For my loyal viewers, and for myself most of all. See you next chapter :)**


	8. You Are Worth Something

**Leo Valdez**

Leo wished he could never have nightmares, and just dream like a regular person. Then he would rather just be dead. But if he were dead, then he couldn't dream. If he could dream, then he could also have nightmares...wow...he really is trapped.

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Just a seventh wheel is what he is. He had uselessly let more of his friends get sucked into an abyss again. Speaking of abyss...

He stood in the middle of a firey abyss. All around him was just fire and nothing else...nothing but him ...and his curse. The words of nemesis ringed in his trance.

_You will not find a place among your friends. You will always be the seventh wheel._

The voice was raspy like the old woman from snow white and the seven dwarves. The voice only got worse as fire in front of him cleared, revealing a woman who looked like a victim of famine. She had large amounts of dust covering her thin body. She had a drippy nose, bloody red clawed cheeks that drip blood on her tattered dress, sunken eyes, and stringy gray hair that is matted to her head. The sight of her was much worse than any aunt Rosa. No...it was like a combination of her with all of his past ghosts and misery: _Misery_ of course!

"Leo Valdez..." She began with her raspy voice. It's like she attempted to eat cockroaches then tried to spit them out, but only made it halfway out. That could explain why she always had tears in her eyes.

"The seventh wheel. Ah yes...you are perfect as well. It seems I've hit the jackpot of pain. What more could I do to make you suffer? First...your friend... then you..." She laughed with satisfaction, but to Leo it sounded like a mix between a seal and a trumpet.

"My friend? And I don't suppose you're going to tell me who you're talking about." Leo resisted the urge to shoot out a burst of flames.

"Oh but I will. And I'll tell you who. The one who had escaped my realm once."

_Nico Di Angelo. _He immediately thought. The thought of him having to have met this abomination haunted him.

"Why Am I bringing him up you must be thinking?" Misery started. "So that I can watch you suffer as you realize that you are going to fail yet another one of your friends...like the useless _seventh wheel_ you are. Say goodbye to them."

Di Angelo was the only one who really understood his loneliness. The only one in camp who could really relate to him best...and now he was going to fail him, he was going to let this monster attack him and Thalia.

"Ah...unlike your friend. There IS something I can do to you. I can show you the truth about your worth...show you how useless you really are to your friends. You will NEVER have a place. Not even in this prophecy. Not even in your promise. Not even in Calypso."

Leo felt like crying. He didn't need to be reminded of his worthlessness. He didn't need to be reminded that he was useless. And he certainly didn't need to be reminded that his girlfriend didn't think much of him.

"Not only do you NOT have a place. But you are worthless as well." She grinned at him so sinisterly that he didn't even know how to react. He felt hurt beyond any inferiority complex he'd ever felt before. He couldn't even respond. She groaned with satisfaction as his chest began to ache.

"Yes...I've found it haven't I? The one thing that keeps you going: Your little bit of confidence. But now you realize now don't you? It was all a lie right? It was all just a facade you used as an excuse to live on. You-"

He was about to break down and run away, like he always did when things got hard. Escape the past...escape the pain of the memories.

Misery disappeared and the scene of fire shifted into a disturbing landscape. A dark forest deep inside the lands of Tartarus. In between the trees he could see Nico sitting on his knees looking shell-shocked. His eyes were plain white, like his irises had been completely wiped away. Thalia was shaking his shoulders begging him to wake up, as swarms of Ara flew around them, ready to attack their prey.

"Nico! Please! I love you! Don't Leave me!" She was about to get teary-eyed as she begged. She pulled out her shield and spear and charged at the flying things. Leo didn't know what these Ara were, but they were certainly deadlier than what meets the eye:

Thalia charged at one of them slashing it in half with ease. "Stay back! Get away. from. us."

Thalia started to scream in pain suddenly as she grabbed her leg.

"I don't care how many curses you put on me! You are NOT getting between me or him." She began to repeatedly destroy more of the Ara, getting bloodier with each one she destroyed. She shook violently as she tolerated the burns that the curses were leaving on her. Even so, she kept fighting as more swarmed her. One of them managed to fly behind her, leaving a gruesome gash along her back. She fell to the floor.

"Help...I...I need you..." she muttered before going unconscious.

Leo began to run forward but the scene already shifted back into fire. Out of the fire, appeared a pair of bleeding eyes. Misery again.

Leo couldn't speak, this time it wasn't his own fault. He felt his chest building up pressure as he could not longer breathe.

_Do not speak. For there is nothing you can do now. No matter what you say..._

_I. Will. See you suffer._

Leo struggled and grunted as giant arms made of poison surrounded him, encasing him like a fist. He shifted around much more violently only managing a few grunts. He wanted to say: _Shut up! There I WILL save them._

Fire surged around him and engulfed his whole body as he fought with all his might, burning the image the poisonous hands away.

"Do you know who I AM?! You cannot escape the truth... Your destiny...I don't make things up! I only embrace them! It is your destiny to live a life of being worthless...you cannot change that! Don't you _get that?_!?" Misery screamed.

"I don't care WHO YOU ARE! I AM worth something!" Leo finally managed to scream.

"No. You are nothing. And you KNOW IT! You are the SEVENTH WHEEL! You have no place!"

"I'll _make _my own place." Leo summoned fire throughout his whole body like a giant flamethrower. A big flash of light was the last thing he saw before finally waking up from this dream.

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Leo woke up to the sight of the dark night sky. He felt the cold metal of Festus' back as the wind blew at his face. Nothing. Just him, Festus, and the dark skies.

He remembered it all:

He the world had begun to rumble as he repaired one of Festus' hydraulic chambers. He heard Nico and Thalia screaming from somewhere among the debris of the Doors of Death. He immediately hopped onto Festus flew above until he found a giant fissure among the maze of destruction. He barely missed seeing Nico jump down into the fissure.

Leo had then jumped off of Festus in desperation. It was when he made it to the edge of the hole, did he see that Nico was barely able to hold himself and Thalia up.

Leo had been stupid: instead of reaching for something like a rope in his magical toolbelt, he'd just stared, full of fear. "Yeah...yeah I can." He promised to the broken ones.

Out of panic he didn't even think and just let them fall in, thinking it was the only option. But it wasn't. He could have SAVED them, but no he immediately ran back to Festus and flew away from the scene. It was just like the first time with Percy and Annabeth.

He knew though, that his friend needed him, and it was time to stop feeling sorry for himself. He needed to rise up, and fight for what he was worth.

He was given a second chance with that promise. And he was sure on the River Styx that he was going to keep it.

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"Festus...we've just made two friends: Deja...and Vu..."

Festus creaked and made noises that meant, _Why do you say that?_

"Because we've got some friends to save. Again."

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**Credit Song: ****Mattia Cupelli- Ascending**

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**Author's note: Nothing much to say atm. I'm just a slow updater. :( Hope you're still there and stuffs. IF not...oh well then...still going to finish this story how I planned.**


	9. UPDATE Sorry randomer

**Just an AN: ****SORRY about the long wait for the next chapter. It's really long and I haven't found much time to work on it, but I promise you that It's in progress. I usually update weekly but, it's been heavy lately with tests during school. Not making excuses, just letting you know what's going on. I apologize especially to you randomer because I said I'd release weekly but I didn't. But hey on the brighter side I'm making the next chapter ALOT longer :P As if that makes up for anything. :\\\\\\\\\**


	10. Defeat

**Thalia Grace**

Thalia wasn't sure what to think of the night before, but she was certainly glad to have met him, even if she probably won't see him after all this is over. When she had finally calmed down and came back into focus, she helped Nico find some old rags and some food behind the altar. They had practically made themselves a mini picnic, which ironically seemed peaceful despite the dim red light shining in through the windows of Hermes' shrine.

Nico laid down on one side of the rag, already munching on some pizza. He looked like such a frail boy, but he sure had an appetite. She could see in his eyes that he wasn't always a fan of food due to his near-skeletal frame. Someone must have given him a sign not to be afraid: Reyna obviously. Normally she would feel a little jealous of the girl and think 'maybe he's closer with her, he'll never choose me'. But Nico had always looked at Reyna as an older sister and at Thalia, with awe. It was as if he didn't think he would have a chance. And she shared thought the same about him. If only he could know that she didn't care if she was too good for him.

Thalia should've given up on love due to the bad and inconvenient circumstances she and Nico would have together, but something about him in particular told him that even she; a broken heart can find love again.

Thalia picked up a burger and began to pig out. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she started eating again. They sat there for a while eating all sorts of things: Pizza, burgers, fries, rice, chicken nuggets, chili, and even managed to drink some coke that someone had sacrificed. How exactly someone was able to burn coke for tribute? She had no idea. Sounds like something Leo would only manage to do.

"Didn't know you loved burgers so much." Nico stated.

"Well, there's a lot of food I love. What about you, is there anything you _love_?"

What were they doing exactly? Why were they sitting around just talking when they were practically in hell? Well, maybe even the worst things have a happy place.

"Um...I already told you." He shifted nervously a little bit. Was that a twinge of red on his cheek? "...oh, you meant food. Right..."

Thalia just remembered that he'd had a crush on her for a bit. She wondered if he still felt that way.

"What does that word mean anyway?" Thalia interrupted. "_Love? _What does it even feel like? Do you know? I mean yeah yeah yeah, you're the ghost king, 'you're dark and alone and have no feelings.' But everyone has to have loved something before."

"Um... Can we not talk about that word? It's just not exactly my favorite word."

"Right...sorry."

They continued eating in awkward silence again, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Once they'd finally finished they went back to staring at nothing as they sat on the rags.

"Um...what about you? What do you think that word means?" Nico wasn't normally one to break silence, but if he did, it probably meant something.

Thalia sighed sadly.

"Well... it's something I can't really have anymore. I don't feel like there is anyone out there for me after being betrayed like..." Her gaze dropped to the floor. "Like _that._"

"Oh...I see." Nico said understandingly. "Sorry I said anything like..._that _earlier. Besides, you're a hunter." He looked down sadly.

Thalia vaguely remembered Nico admitting his crush on her again. It had to have meant something. Almost as if some divine being were showing her a sign.

"What? Why are you sorry? It's okay to have feelings. You said yourself."

"Right." Nico smiled.

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"You still didn't answer my question though. What is it?" He gazed into her eyes and she could tell that he really _didn't _know what it was, and he wanted to know. Thalia took pity on him but at the same time envied him for not having to have experienced something so painful.

"It's...it's nothing really. It's just painful, and filled with betrayal. You only experience it once before you realize whether you'll find it or not." Her hunter instinct always spoke for her when she was asked that question, but she never really meant it. In fact, she didn't know if she was telling the truth or not. Maybe...she _wanted_ someone to show her what it was. And that someone just wasn't Luke.

"Maybe it doesn't have to be painful. I mean, why does it have to be only once?" Nico said, still gazing with his abyssal-black eyes. They gave her that same warmth and comfort, which told her it would be okay. She leaned her head closer to his.

"Yeah...yeah...I guess it _IS _okay to have feelings." She gazed back at him, feeling tornadoes electrifying inside her. Maybe she didn't have to be a cold hunter anymore. Maybe she didn't have to suppress her heartbreak anymore. Maybe she could finally allow herself to...love someone.

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A sudden burst of fire drew both their attention towards the altar. The fire waved around like a flame thrower until it finally extinguished, revealing a napkin with something written on it.

"There's something-" Nico started.

"Yeah yeah. I got it." Thalia stood up and brought the note back to Nico. They both looked at the note:

**Heyyyyyy! It's LEOOOO...I hope I didn't interrupt anything romantic. ;P**

**Just kidding, that was EXACTLY what I was hoping for actually. Anyways...Hi!**

**That's all I have to say. Bye again.**

Nico stared at it, clearly unamused. "That's it? THAT'S ALL he sent this note for?"

Thalia interrupted. "Wait...there's more on the back."

**JUST KIDDING! I wanted to annoy Nico.**

**Anyway, I'm on the way and I'm gathering all seven of the demigods from the prophecy to help me out. There's going to be a lot of chaos guarding the entrance on the mortal side so I'm gathering as much help as I can. I won't let you down again.  
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**I also got some info from Chiron. Well...in short, he says that Both of you are MEANT to fall into Tartarus, and it wasn't just my fault.  
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**The hunter, the child of death. It was clearly you two, that's confirmed. There's no one else that fits that description and it makes total sense why they sent you guys. You ARE the ones filled with void... Not sure what that means.  
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**I mean I found out that the fates planned for this long ago to ensure that Gaea doesn't wake up again. You know...after I killed her and all. :P #Supersized Mcchosen one  
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**But just know that I AM coming, and sorry I'm useless. But I AM coming though, and so is everyone else so be ready. There's some supplies to send an Iris-message under the plates, but there's only enough for one message, sorry about that. We're still low on budget after the last war, but hey, I got you guys a buffet of food. Annabeth told me that you guys would go here so i figured why not. That's all.**

**THIS NAPKIN WILL SELF DESTRUCT ONCE YOU FINISH READING.**

**Just kidding. Hopefully Nico got a funny reaction. -Leo**

Nico didn't have any reaction.

"Leo!" Thalia shouted excitedly.

"So what does this mean?" He asked.

"Hang on, I should probably grab those supplies." Thalia leaned real quickly and lifted the plates next to their rags, revealing the iris-message materials. She quickly stuffed them in the inside pockets of her leather jacket.

"Wait...the ones filled with void? I think it's referencing us. I mean maybe they're saying we're the ones who've lost the most: The broken ones." Thalia continued.

"So then it's clear then, we're practically all the lines of the prophecy." Nico said grimly. He looked as if he'd just lost his last heart string. "Even the second to last line." He hung his head down.

Thalia understood his haunting expression now after vaguely remembering the line: _Without the sacrifice of death or sky. _That meant that only one of them was going to make it through.

"No. It won't end like that. I won't let it, I promise you that." She tried to reassure him, but she wasn't too sure, herself. "I mean, it doesn't have to happen only once right?"

Nico lifted his head up again. He looked at her in awe, completely speechless and amazed at her sudden strength. Heck, Thalia herself didn't know where her sudden optimism was coming from either. But she knew one thing for sure: _We make our OWN destiny_

"But the fates-" Nico hesitated.

"Forget them. I mean come on, look at that last prophecy. Everyone survived, even Leo. There's ALWAYS a way."

Nico drew his sword and stood. "You're dead right."

"That's more like it, now let's find some way to the doors of death. We can do this." She smiled at him.

"We can. Let's turn this tide." He smiled creepily, but out of enthusiasm. "Can't be so hard. I mean, you're a versatile hunter, and I'm a boy of the underworld: a perfect team for a place like this. I know a short-cut but it'll be tricky."

Nico's enthusiasm to make it out of Tartarus gave Thalia a sign that they'd both found something to fight for: each other.

"What is it? Where exactly are we going?" She asked.

"The forest of curses. It's a place I know in here and going straight through it will give us a clear path straight through and save us from having to go through the trouble of having to fight through endless waves of monsters along the river. I mean we COULD keep following the river, but it'll be way more dangerous than a bunch of flying curses right?"

"Yeah...Flying curses or endless waves of other dangerous monsters. I don't like either. But hey, flying birds? No match for a bow and arrow."

"Oh that might actually work. Shooting them isn't direct contact, so we won't be affected by any of the curses." He smiled with ambition. "This is going to be easy."

Suddenly, Tartarus didn't seem like such a bad place to Thalia anymore. More like another forest that she could easily adapt to.

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Thalia and Nico stood on opposite sides of the exit of the shrine. "Think those flying things are gone?" Nico asked.

"I know they're gone. We've waited for a while." She nodded at him as if to gesture that she was ready. "Ready? Three. Two. One."

The duo charged through the door, ready for anything. Fortunately, there was nothing around them and the flying chuckie-like creatures had given up. Nothing but red skies now. They quickly used this opportunity to charge all the way across the river and into the forest of curses. Hopefully if they could sprint fast enough, then they would be able to make it through towards the safer side of Tartarus. The emptier side.

A trio of stray Keres blocked their way as they ran through the river. Thalia easily slashed down two of them, using her spear to impale one, then parry the other and slash the second one in the guts.

Nico ran upwards and slashed downwards at the last one successfully bisecting it like nothing was there.

So far so good.

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The second they charged into the forest, chaos spread almost instantly.

Through the dark forest was endless black trees and branches bunched up almost endlessly. They were sharp and shaped like tentacles covering the small gaps along the pathways.

Thalia had to use her agile reflexes in order to be able to jump over the endless logs blocking their ways as they ran. Unfortunately Nico wasn't doing as well as her, due to not being trained in the hunters. He was much faster and swift with his vaults over the tree stumps, but he seemed to be running out of energy faster. He was in no way conditioned for this. Then the most inconvenient thing happened: The curses that Nico had warned her about, had shown up.

"Keep going! WE HAVE TO!" Thalia shouted out.

"I-I can't! I-!" He stuttered hysterically.

"Nico! Please! We can't do this right now." She begged.

He continued running behind her, to her relief. They jumped over more and more branches but they just seemed to be getting larger and more dis-morphed.

_You killed me. _A giant flying bird-like monster swooped down, barely being dodged by Thalia. _  
_

_You killed me._

_This is for Dr. Thorn!_ One of the creatures screeched.

"Nico! What are these things?!" She yelled before jumping along the side of another tree branch. The flying thing barely missed her and completely annihilated the root of the tree.

"Ara! Don't attack them!" Nico warned her just as she pulled out her spear. "Just shoot them! Any direct contact is dangerous remember?!"

"I-I can't see them! The trees are in the way!" Thalia shouted, training her bow at endless movements above the leaf-less trees. Something pulled her upwards with such force that she dropped her bow and arrow. She was suddenly flying in mid-air under the claws of one of the ara. She screamed hysterically at the height.

"Thalia!" Nico cried out. He immediately shadow-phased into a tree and launched himself into the air to slice down the flying thing. The Ara instantly dissolved into dust and through the sharp branches of trees they fell.

...

Thalia began to feel a surge of panic growing inside her. She looked all around her and found no sign of Nico anywhere. They must have fell in complete opposite sides. She decided to gamble and rustle through the endless blockades of branches trying to estimate his fall distance.

Dozens of screeches from above her pierced her ears, saying things like:

_You destroyed my eyes. Now I will destroy yours._

_You slashed my stomach open. Now you will see how it feels!_

Thalia dug through the branches furiously hoping to rip open a passage way. One of the Ara slashed the stump of a tree, rolling it in Thalia's direction, barely missing her.

"NICO! WHERE ARE YOU?!" She cried out.

The Ara swooped down to claw her, but she managed to kicked it back into a tree, stalling it and giving her time to run away.

She kept running and running, hoping to lose the monsters, until she eventually hid behind a tree, covering herself in the black dirt of Tartarus. Suddenly she heard faint whispers somewhere near her.

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"No...Not again! I can't be here again!" Nico's voice shouted. He stumbled out from behind the her tree and dropped to his knees. "Make it stop! The nightmares! The suffering!" Nico screamed hysterically, grabbing his head.

Thalia ran towards him and grabbed him by the shoulders. She turned him around only to have her heart drop: his eyes were plain white.

"Thalia! You left me?!" Tears ran down his white eyes. "Thalia?! Why'd you leave me again?!"

"Nico! Nico! It's okay! I'm right here!" She kept yelling and begging him to wake up, but it did no good. He just stared into nothingness.

_Yes! Do you feel it?! The pain again? The misery? _A voice laughed sinisterly behind Thalia. She turned around only to see a pair of bloody eyes peering at her through the gaps in between the trees.

"Who are you?! Show yourself!" She yelled out.

_Oh but I am only but a thing that lives in YOU. Therefore you've already seen it. _The raspy voice replied. _I am Misery. Beg for me. Tell me you need me, and I will save you, at the cost of more pain and suffering from the one you care most for.  
_

Thalia wished she could summon all the lightning in the world right now. This THING dares to threaten him? A boy who she bonded with...a boy she..._loved_?

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She understood now: this feeling she had always felt for him was called love. And she had found it this entire time.

But now it was going to be crushed by this...demon. She made a promise to herself that she wouldn't ever let this boy suffer anymore than he had. And she was sure on the stix that she was going to keep it.

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"No!" Thalia said sternly. "I. Won't. Beg."

Thalia throw her shield like a deadly flying saucer at the bloody eyes. The eyes instantly disappeared as the shield bisected the trees.

She ran to Nico and shook him desperately. "Nico! Please! I need you!" She begged over and over until she finally started sobbing.

"Nico...I'm sorry. I never should've kept it from you. I never should've left you. I never should've left Bianca..." She bit bag another sob. She shook him even more but he just kept staring at nothing with his white eyes, fear stuck in his expression.

"Nico! Please! I love you! Don't Leave me!" Thalia finally admitted. She gave up on him. No, she was fighting for him. And she was going to do it, even if it killed her. Thalia summoned wind, rumbling the entire vicinity and destroying hundreds of trees in the process until it made a clear open space.

Above her and Nico, the dozens of Ara circled above them as if ready to attack their prey.

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Thalia drew her spear and charged at the flying things head on as they swooped down. She stabbed one through the heart, and suddenly she felt sharp pain in her chest.

"Agh!" She screamed. The pain was unbearable but she didn't care.

Thalia lifted the spear and spun it around like a windmill slashing three more Ara all in one motion. They all turned to dust as she felt burns of electricity flow through her body. Burns suddenly appeared on her arms. She ignored the pain.

Thalia spun her spear again and slashed down several more, as claw marks appeared on her back, sending a searing pain throughout her body. Her ears began to ring.

"For ORION!" One Ara screamed as it slashed her back.

"Agh!" She yelped. Almost instantly, her spear was already inside the base of its skull, crumbling it to dust. She felt even worse burning all around her body and a vision of Orion being buried in greek fire by her hunters flashed through her eyes. She could almost feel the intense burning of the Greek fire. It was as if her skin was sizzling as she fought.

She screamed in agony, over and over as she slashed endlessly at more Ara, getting even more curses in the process.

Thalia hacked and slashed and destroyed everything that moved, but it was no use. Dozens more swarmed above her as she fell to her knees from the pain.

She breathed heavily, still feeling the burns. She felt her knees buckle and was only able to stand back up by using her spear as a cane.

_Do you give up yet? Don't you need me? I'm the only way out remember? 'There's always a way...' _Misery reminded her. The demon(not goddess) stood a distance away from her.

Thalia was practically almost dead, but she wasn't going to give in while Nico was alive. While her lover was alive. Never.

"I. won't. give. up." Thalia snarled. "I'll MAKE my own way. I'll make my OWN destiny."

_Foolish daughter of Zeus! Such insolence will only get you killed! _Misery snarled back.

"Just watch. I'm..." Thalia coughed out blood."I'm STRONGER than you!"

She knew it was her fatal flaw to have a need to be powerful, but at this point it didn't matter. She didn't want to give up. She didn't want to fail him.

"Come on! I'll. Kill. ALL OF YOU!" Thalia roared. She charged again at all the endless waves of Ara, ignoring any pain she felt.

She slashed at all of them with super reflexes, slashing all of them again and again, as they tried to pile on her.

She then yelled out a battle cry as she charged even faster at Misery. She charged with such inhuman speed that the demon flinched and immediately teleported.

Thalia missed, but she didn't care, she was filled with pure rage and will power now. Five more Ara swarmed her but she slashed them all like they were flies.

"I don't care how many curses you put on me! You are NOT getting between me or him." She cried out.

She spun her spear like a helicopter propeller, slashing more and more and more nonstop.

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The curses eventually overwhelmed her and she could no longer stand the pain. She felt as if she was breathing poison and that her body was made of fire. The cuts all around her stung badly like acid was being poured all over her. The worst part was that the slashes she'd inflicted on monsters during her hunts, weren't even close to being inflicted on her yet. So there was more pain to come.

Thalia fell to the floor, no longer able to fight.

_You understand now don't you? I told you. You've lost. _Misery chided as she began to laugh.

"Help...I...I need you." She pleaded hopelessly. She didn't know who she was pleading to anymore, she just wanted the pain to stop and Nico to be safe.

The searing pain made an intense ringing in her ears, and she couldn't speak. She crawled over to the lifeless looking Nico who had already fallen to the floor by now. His eyes were still open and white.

She wanted to say: _I'm sorry Nico. I'm sorry. I love you._

They'd reached as far as they could in Tartarus. But at least they died trying. Misery stood over them in triumph with her disgusting evil grin on her face.

It was the end. It's over. Her hand felt cold as everything turned black.

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**Credit Song: ****Cold- Jorge Mendez**

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**Author's note: FINALLY! I FINISHED IT. Anyway, I'll be releasing another chapter soon this week in order to make up for all this time. If it doesn't make up for it, well at least I made myself feel better. LOVE YOU RANDOMER AND BOOKSANDSUNSETS AND ALL MY OTHER WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS. (Ie: Guests #?)**


	11. Hatred

**Leo Valdez**

Leo didn't feel important when he didn't have that _one person _who matters most to him. Sure he'd done many heroic things, like sacrificing himself for Gaea, saving the crew of the Argo 2 multiple times, managing to support Nico and Thalia all the way in Tartarus, but it didn't make him feel better while he knew that _one person _doesn't even bother to acknowledge his existence.

What hurt most was that this person had broken their promise to him. MANY promises to be exact. It left him feeling betrayed and unloved. This person had spent all her time keeping promises to all her other friends, meanwhile Leo himself; someone who is supposed to be special to her, is just left out and ignored. She didn't even have the decency to at least respond to his iris-messages or even give him a simple 'hello.'

Deep down inside he felt angry, betrayed, abandoned, deceived...7th wheeled.

This someone was supposed to be the one person he would never ever feel those things with. But, like always, even someone close to him was able to wheel him out.

This person... was Calypso.

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Leo wasn't sure how to feel anymore when he saw her. After secretly hating her for being so terrible to him, he thought what he wanted most from her was to just see her. But no. When he saw her, he didn't feel like talking at all. In fact, he didn't even know what to say; he couldn't muster up his emotions anymore.

"Calypso!" He'd said, as she kept talking to Will Solace.

"Hang on, Will." Calypso turned to face Leo. She gave him a simple uncomfortable nod as if to somewhat acknowledge his presence. Then she immediately averted her eyes back to Will and continued her conversation.

"Love you! I'll uhhh...be going to repair Festus again." He said out of panic. He technically wasn't lying though because he really _is _going to Bunker 9 to repair Festus.

"Okay, see you!" She waved goodbye with her fake uncomfortable smile. It only gave him an ache in his chest when he realized that she didn't even miss him at all. She didn't even care to ask or see how it was going. Some girlfriend she is...

As he went back to bunker 9 he shut himself inside his room alone with Festus.

That was then where he began to bawl out his eyes. Man he'd been holding it in for so long. He knew it was childish to cry over someone not noticing you, but he couldn't help it. It really did hurt. A lot.

It hurt him so so much, and he couldn't do anything about it because of his fear that he might lose her for good if he expressed his true feelings. His feelings of anger, frustration, and jealousy. She would probably be scared of him if he one day snapped at her. So the worst part was that he was forced to keep in his emotions for the greater good.

He sniffed in his tears and stood back up to face Festus. "Sorry buddy, you shouldn't have to see me like this. Okay, now let's get started."

Leo started on Festus' wing: 3 screws missing from the outer plating.

"Alright bud, just like last time. I'll have to temporarily shut you down while I do this." He knew it wasn't necessary to power him down, but he didn't want his friend to feel anything. Especially with what he was about to do...

He pulled out a hammer from his tool-belt and began to pound in a screw.

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Leo thought about the time she promised him that she wouldn't ignore him. Then she ignored him anyway. Not even a 'hello'. She'd just turned her head to glance at him, then just went back to talking to other campers.

"I hate you!" He yelled as he released all his anger on the screw. One pound and the screw was already in. He must've really been angry, because these screws normally didn't go in with just one hit. Tears began to peak out of his eye lids.

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Leo thought about the time Calypso told him about how important he was to her. How she promised that she really 'loved' him. Then he remembered how she went and broke that promise. She didn't even show it. She hadn't even talked to him once since he'd flew her back to Camp. She didn't even respond to his Iris-message he sent her before he left with Thalia and Nico. If she loved him, she was terrible at showing it.

He reached for another screw from a toolbox.

"You liar!" Leo shouted. He pounded with all his rage at the second screw. Each hit feeling more and more numb as his anger built up. His strikes were getting faster now along with his negative thoughts.

Leo thought about all those times he'd been left out. He'd been detached from everyone in the Argo 2. He'd come back to camp only to find out that they weren't even waiting for him. He'd sent out iris-messages telling them he was okay, and they simply told him they were glad in various ingenuine ways. Then they went back to caring only about their significant others.

Leo grabbed another screw from under the table. He positioned it on the last slot of Festus' outer plating.

His thoughts began to race through his head again. He was the seventh wheel.

Leo slammed his hammer on the screw as hard as he could.

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He was left out from all his friends.

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Leo slammed the hammer at the screw again, making it spark.

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He never found his place.

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Leo's hammer went on fire as he swung again.

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He was useless.

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Leo swung his flaming hammer and didn't stop. He closed his eyes, full of rage and frustration.

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He killed his mother.

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Leo just unleashed everything he could. All his strength. All his energy. All his anger. He felt his face heating up as it was probably really red now.

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Calypso didn't love him...

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Leo just screamed this time. He just screamed as much as he could slamming his weapon at anything in sight. He could feel his hammer slamming against metal over and over, but he didn't know what he was doing anymore. All he could do was go faster and faster.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" He repeated over and over. He felt the endless tears dropping down his face.

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Feeling droopy and out of energy, he lifted his hammer for one last strike. He felt blood roaring in his ears until a foreign noise broke him out of his flow.

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Leo looked down to find that his entire body was wreathed with fire, illuminating him.

"Leo...why?" Calypso asked him. Her eyes were filled with heartbreak and her body was soaked with burn marks and bruises. She lay on the floor in front of him, dying.

On her right and left laying, was Piper and Jason; ALSO beaten and burned. Their eyes both closed and in pain.

As Leo panned his head upwards he found more of his friends; also dead. Laying on the floor, was Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Percy...all of the Argo 2 crew.

Leo was speechless. He turned around to bolt, out of fear of what he'd done.

As he turned he saw Nico and Thalia both lying down, dead. Nico's eyes were open and plain white, and Thalia was brutalized with burns and scratches, her eyes shut.

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Leo was in pure shock. He couldn't cry, he couldn't scream, he couldn't even say anything. It just didn't make sense to him.

A pair of bloody eyes appeared above the dead couple just as the rest of the figure followed. Drippy nose, bloody red clawed cheeks that drip blood on her tattered dress, sunken eyes, and stringy gray hair that was matted to her head: Misery.

She laughed (ironic of her to even be doing so) and cackled at his face.

Leo was cold and still. All he could do was cry some more.

_Yes. Cry some more! Feel the pain of your own worthless life! Feel your flaws! _Misery chided.

Leo's horror immediately turned to rage.

"SHUT. UP!" He launched a wave of fire and immediately the hallucination faded.

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Leo opened his eyes again and found himself still inside of the repair room, with Festus' wings fixed.

He didn't know what to feel anymore...nothing but misery...and emptiness.

He buried his face into his knees and wailed in his corner.

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**Credit Song: ****Say Something- A Great Big World.**

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**Author's Note: I know I used this song already but whatever, it's a nice depressing song for this chapter. :P**


	12. Pure Anger

**Thalia Grace**

Was she dead? Or wasn't she? Either way, she didn't understand why it had to hurt so badly. Her whole body felt like it was made of acid. Something Leo had described to her while riding on Festus: Illogical pain.

Whether she was dead or not, she was able to see _something. _Thalia wasn't sure if it was a dream or her re-watching memories and visions. Dreams were always bad, but down in Tartarus... they were beyond horrific. Shattering, even.

It seemed like _something_ was doing this to her, but she couldn't figure out what, due to her focusing on the events unfolding in front of her.

Thalia went past by her usual fragments of memories: The time her mother had sacrificed Jason to Zeus. The time she decided to run away from her mother out of anger. Then she saw the time she had heard about her mother's death, the dread she felt, the sadness. That was then when she learned the reality of her life: she was alone. All alone in the cold world. Everyone was a monster to her. Literally.

Then she'd finally found her solace in life, something she could look forward to. She found Luke Castellan, and together, they survived for a long time, and eventually they fell in love. Unfortunately, it came to an abrupt end for her as she'd sacrificed herself to a cyclops in order to save Annabeth and her one meaning in life left.

Then she was given a chance again. A new chance at life, to finally rebuild and find her happiness again. That was only when she found out that Luke had betrayed everyone, which left her feeling empty and unable to know what love was again...she didn't even get to say goodbye. That was then when she thought, "What else can I do?"

Thalia panicked and decided to run from her pain, and gave up on finding love. She says she gave up, but in truth, she was really just scared. Scared, and afraid to trust anyone, afraid to love again...even though it was what she wanted most.

Thalia knew who she was and she loved herself, her life was already complete and she pretty much had no purpose. That purpose was Luke, but now he was gone. And so was her heart. She was just another broken soul, drifting along endlessly with a pack, hoping for a miracle.

Dwelling on these thoughts made her chest ache, so she decided to just run away from these thoughts.

The scene shifted to reality in Tartarus. She could see herself laying down, beaten and battered on the ground, unconscious. Nico's eyes were restored to their original abyssal-black color.

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Thalia could see the whole thing... but she was a little bit confused.

Nico was bounded by the arms and legs by snares made of black liquid: poison.

The goddess Misery was grinning at Nico, looking him in the eyes as tears fell down his face. He seemed to be in a trance. Misery just laughed and wiped the tears off of his face, and flicked it into her aura of poison, making it grow larger.

"Too much for you? Too much for the son of Hades? Eh?" Misery cackled. "Are you having a relapse of your suffering? Do you want to die yet? Just say the word, and I'll let you kill yourself, then..._she _will be recovered instantly."

"No...you don't scare me. I've been through more than you can imagine...so go ahead...make me suffer. Suffering is my friend." Nico glared at her with anger and sadness in his eyes.

Thalia put two and two together and figured out what was going on now:

Misery was making Nico relive his most painful memories, to fuel her power source: pain and suffering of course;_ misery. _In exchange for his suffering, Misery healed Thalia's unconscious body little by little.

Misery waved her hands and morphed her poison into a mirror-like shape facing Nico. "Remember this?" She grinned at him with satisfaction as his eyes widened with despair.

Nico seemed to be in a trance again, as if he was reliving every little painful memory he'd had. He began to cry again, panting heavily as Misery cackled.

A wound on Thalia's back slowly disappeared, and she could notice her vision getting clearer as she watched the scene.

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It was a heartbreaking sight to Thalia, because she had promised him that he would never have to suffer again. And yet, here he was, suffering through relapses just to save her useless butt. She had failed someone she loved yet again.

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This time however, instead of pain building in her chest, it seemed to be anger.

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Misery fed another painful memory to Nico's mind, making his sobs more violent. It only fueled the anger and adrenaline in Thalia's body, as she felt another wound heal.

'Soon.' Thalia thought. As soon as she was fully healed she would use the element of surprise to destroy this monster.

**Credits Song: ****The Walking Dead- In the Water (Clementine Mix)**

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**Author's Note: ****Not much to say, about my REALLY LONG abscence, hope you're still there. I stopped believing in love so it became harder for me to write about ships, thus this short chapter.  
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	13. Update

**Author's note:**

**It will take me a while to get back into writing for any of you that are still waiting for the next chapter. But I promise you that I will eventually continue this fic, but I'm still iffy on whether anyone would read it(excluding randomer) as Thalico is a very unpopular ship. But all in all thanks for the support and reviews and letting me know that there ARE people reading my story.**


	14. LE author message

**I am back bitches. Jk you're not bitches, I love you. But I shall be uploading another chapter. by this friday**


	15. Who are you?

**Thalia Grace**

Thalia Grace rose up from the ashy ground and all she felt was rage. Nothing else; not will, not desperation, just pure rage.

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People like Misery, who want to torture others don't derserve life. They only want to drag others as low as them, so they don't deserve to live in this universe.

As Thalia stood up, Misery glanced at her and instantly encased the latter in black poisonous water; the tears of the depressed souls. Misery smirked.  
"Fool."

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Suddenly Misery's skin began to bubble and burn with electricity as Thalia emerged from the black waters. Something felt different; but natural. She could carry the poisonous water by simply controlling her own electricity, it felt almost...pleasurable. She felt powerful and in control for once.

Thalia marched towards Misery, using her own liquid against her. The black poison that came from Misery's hands now shocked her entire monstrous body with the liquid amplifying the electricity's shocking effect. Thalia shocked Misery, over, and over again, while summoning lightning bolt after lightning bolt. She saw a vision of Luke as Misery attempted to trick her with another illusion, but that only fueled the rage inside her body.

"You destroyed my life, and now..."

Winds from the nasty air of Tartarus were now in Thalia's control. She used the pressure of the air to overwhelm misery's lungs.. She filled her mouth and nose with so much air that it began to suffocate Misery.

"...I'll destroy YOU."

Misery screamed with such agony that it hurt her ears, but it felt good. Revenge felt good.

"_That, _is what it feels like! That's what you've done!" At this point she didn't know if she was talking to Misery, or Luke.

"I hate you! I HATEYOU! I **HATE YOU!**" Thalia repeated after each strike of lightning inflicted on Misery.

Now, Misery was being choked, shocked, and crushed by air pressure, simultaneously. Thalia continued on, with no mercy to the point of Misery beginning to cry.

Thalia felt pleasure but had a beam of anger from her eyes. Lightning traced her body, creating a destructive electrical aura. There was a heat she felt in her own face; her eyes began to spark with intense electric blue...

This feeling. This relief, this...freedom she felt. As if she all of her internal anger and frustration was released, as if this was all she wanted. Blood roared in her ears. Maybe this is what she wanted; to inflict her pain on others. _Yeah...that would feel good. _

_Inflict it on Misery...!_

_...on Luke_

_...on her father_

_...on the gods_

_...the world. _

_herself?_

Her emptiness, her sadness, all conflicting with the feeling of revenge.

Again, Luke's image appeared from behind Misery, slowly appearing further away and stopped at one of the dead trees that filled the vicinity of Tartarus.

Luke's voice was a mere whisper.

_"What are you doing? I thought you were better than __**this**__... Better than me." _His echoing voice sounded sad and disappointed.

_"Thalia! Thalia stop!" _She continued to mutilate Misery with her near-infinte rage-fueled power. She began to form a smile...

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Suddenly something latched onto Thalia with huge force; Immediately she back handed whatever it was with even more force.

For a split second, everything stopped as she heard Nico's grunt. He lay on the floor with a bruised eye. He looked extremely weak and damaged as is.

Nico struggled to stand, but managed to turn to Thalia's direction; he didn't meet her eyes. "Who are you?" He said almost whispering. He looked as if he wanted to cry but couldn't.

Nico wasn't afraid of much and yet he seemed terrified...of _her_.

"You're just as dead to me as everyone else." He ran.

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**Song: Andrew Belle- In my Veins**

**Author's note: what else can I say about my long absence? It's good to be back and I'm sorry for the loyal fans :P**


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